U.S. Department. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, known as HUD for short, is a federal agency. This umbrella agency covers the Federal Housing Administration as well as a host of housing and community development programs. This department came into being in 1965. Its mission is to initiate programs for sustainable communities and quality housing in areas across the United States. The agency backs loans to owner occupants as well as non-profit groups. The purpose of these loans is to buy homes and do renovations as needed. Besides providing home loans and community grants, this organization has oversight in public housing as well as housing on Indian lands. They provide enforcement of anti-discrimination laws in housing, and they gather information on housing around the country to provide statistical information to Congress as well as the public.